Tag: Review Books

The story in Archipelago takes place after the main character Gavin has seen his home and family decimated by a flood. He has struggled to hold the threads of his life together but things are beginning to unravel, feeling a need to do something he takes his six year old daughter and dog on a boat called Romany. He is desperate to stop the nightmares every time the rains come and make peace with the water by exploring its’ beauty.

What follows is a wonderful journey around the islands leading up to the ultimate goal – the Galapagos Islands. Along the way they encounter a variety of wonderful islands and archipelagos and the characters they meet there are as colourful as the wide variety of marine life they find when snorkelling and exploring. Moby Dick is referenced throughout, perhaps echoing Gavin’s own desire to achieve a goal and his achievement symbolised by their own sighting of a white whale as they approach the Galapagos.

Ocean, dealing with her baby brother’s death and the withdrawal of her Mother into grief is captured well, the struggle Gavin himself is facing is portrayed movingly. He wants to help his family and himself and slowly as they sail through the islands and Ocean begins to eat and regain her confidence he begins to think it is possible. There are of course setbacks, challenges to be faced and one of their biggest challenges is only possible with the help of another sailor – Phoebe. She becomes a heroine to Ocean, especially when a particularly rough passage of sea requires them to seek medical assistance after a nasty accident.

Perhaps one of the most striking things about this book is the simplicity in which it is told, it is beautifully written and yet haunting, the details of the flood which destroyed the family home and towards the end of the climatic finale is simple and compelling. Reading this book captures both the beauty and ugliness of the water they are travelling along, the tranquility and the sudden ferociousness, again echoing the turmoil in the characters own lives. A novel well worth reading both for the emotional journey of Gavin and Ocean and the description of the geographical islands. 4/5

This is a highly original and inventive book. Full of colourful characters and a charismatic circus setting. This novel contains elements of the fairy tale, a love story as well as drama. Celia and Marco are attracted to one another, both blessed with magical talents that allow them to manipulate objects and animals to their will. The problem, as they discover, is that they are to be star crossed lovers, pitted against one another by their mentors, locked together in a challenge to perform the best magic. Can they find a way to outwit the challenge and be together.
Then there is Bailey who is dared to enter the circus as a young boy, the circus that is only open at night and known as the circus of dreams. He does so and there starts a lifelong obsession with the circus that sees him building up to play a pivotal role in the life of the circus. Everything about the circus is mysterious and strange. A fan club who identify one another by wearing red springs up following the circus all over the world and record their adventures. There is the magical clock that inspires the patrons, a magic carousel and mazes that come and go as well as acrobats, contortionists and amazing illusionists!
The novel draws in the reader as the circus attracts its patrons, it has to be read carefully and absorbed, there are a host of characters whose motives are not entirely clear, the performers never age, the bonfire that is lit with great ceremony seems vital to the survival of the circus and one is never sure if the magic they see is real or an illusion. A wonderful novel and a fantastic read. 5/5

Room is an original and thought provoking book. Told from the point of view of just turning five Jack the language and view of the world is spot on. Jack uses childish names for things and I was curious as to why Room was capitalised and it took a long to find out. I tried to guess why Jack and his mum were confined in such a small space but I wasn’t close to the real reason.
As the story unfolds and we discover just how evil Old Nick is it is both horrifying and startling. As he describes some of the events in graphic detail it is stated so simply and innocently that the impact is more terrifying. Watching his emergence into the world is akin to a baby beginning it’s journey into the world but with the ability to eat, speak and count and so on. The wonder of everything and the confusion is touching and well described. This is particularly apparent when Jack panics when he sees car on the other side of the road and thinks they are all going to hit him until it is explained that cars use both sides of the road  but don’t cross into each others paths.
Some of the events whilst totally believable, (Jacks mum’s suicide attempt) come out of nowhere and the characters are all seen through Jacks eyes. Getting used to the way other people such as Grandma and Steppa do things after so long with just his Mum show how big an adjustment he is having to make. The social adjustments from TV to real show how well his Mother has managed to shield Jack from the awful reality of his predicament but the toll on her is made apparent by both the physical ailments such as her teeth and her inability to interact with the world around her.
This is not a book that you ‘enjoy’, but it is a book that is worth reading, it is thought provoking and in the light of some recent news stories completely plausible. I would have loved to find out more about Jack and his adventures in the world which is always a sign of a good read, you leave your reader wanting more.

I enjoyed this book as it was quite different from most of the other books out there at the moment! Combining the grimy dockyards of Wapping and the exotic Jamaica.
The story combines a shipping expedition to collect slaves and the descriptions of the capture of the slaves and the treatment of them is detailed and disturbing making the title The English Monster very apt. What happens to Billy Ablass on one of these expeditions is startling and links the two parts of the story together.
Two centuries later someone is committing grisly murders, again the detail of these scenes is not for the faint hearted! Suspects come and a go but the lack of authority and the disarray of the magistrates make catching the one responsible more difficult. As slavery becomes outlawed it is driven underground, slave ships refitted or quietly sold on.
The Royal Society is holding secrets as well, and has been for some time, it is only when the unofficial investigation of Horton takes decisive action that the true horror from both sides is put to rest. The detail in the book is credible and informative and the characters vivid. The sense of the different environments in which the characters find themselves in are vibrant and captivating, this may not be an ‘easy’ read in the sense of the subject matter but it will make you think and is definitely worth a look.(less)

An interesting tale where once the heroine gets what she thinks she wants she immediately begins to question it. Samantha, the lead character is likeable and is devastated when she learns that her boyfriend Jamie is planning to travel. She acknowledges that he is a free spirit and that this is the most frustrating thing about him.

Instead of lying around brooding Samantha summons the help of her two closest friends and comes up with a plan – to make Jamie jealous and make him see the error of his ways. We enter the world of internet dating with mixed results and then Ben arrives and things begin to get complicated.

As well as the problems Samantha has in her love life she comes to realise that her best friend is spiralling towards alcoholism and there are some touching scenes when she confronts her in an effort to help her deal with the problem. There  are plenty of surprises and upbeat moments in the book. Samantha’s family also feature and add to her worry load as her sister decides to seek out her birth father which leads to the unearthing of a few skeletons in the closets.

An entertaining read that is both funny and touching.

The Bloody Meadow is well written, well paced and will keep you guessing to the end about who is responsible for the events chronicled and who is on which side. It is written when everyone is Russia could be under suspicion for saying or doing the wrong thing. Korolev, the main character and detective in the novel is himself worried about this, indeed he fears the worst when he hears a car pull up at an unexpected time and immediately you are immersed in the menacing world at the time of the all powerful USSR state.
Treachery is the name of the game and if you are on the right side crimes go unnoticed and unpunished. Everyone is careful to ensure they address one another correctly and this makes the investigation more difficult for Korolev.  As the case deepens the danger to Korolev and those around him worsens as well. The passages describing the film set and trying to determine who saw what and who was where when proves how complicated things are. Several people lie to cover up the possibility of being disloyal to the state. In this way Ryan writes convincingly portrays the tense atmosphere by which citizens had to live their lives.
I enjoyed this book, it is fast paced and you become absorbed in Korolev’s world and share his fears as the plot unfolds. It is a book that requires concentration as you need to keep track of the characters and what is happening to them but it well worth a read, it is more than just the usual murder mystery but a political thriller as well.